Self-wringing sponge mop releasable catch



Dec. 26, 1961 P. A. MORGAN SELF-WRINGING SPONGE MOP RELEASABLE CATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 26, 1959 Dec. 26, 1961 P. A. MORGAN SELF-WRINGING SPONGE MOP RELEASABLE CATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 26, 1959 lwda/Limf flea/J6 /0/. 77lm ga/iv, pofmmr 17 m? ymmw/ 32 mwww,

United States Patent 3,014,230 SELF-WRINGING SPONGE MOP RELEASABLE CATCH Paul A. Morgan, Chicago, 111., assignor to American- Marietta Company, a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 802,103 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-119) This invention relates to a mechanism for releasably securing the hinged presser plate of a self-wringing sponge mop in an out-of-the-way, inoperative position where it remains during the mopping operation.

The securing mechanism of this invention releasably secures the hinged presser plate against the handle socket of the sponge mop. The invention comprises a protuberance carried by one of the mop handle socket and the presser plate, and a pressure responsive clip catch complementary to said protuberance and carried by the other of the two members just referred to.

In a preferred embodiment, the clip catch is U-shaped and formed of spring steel, and is pressed into place in a slot in the presser plate handle in such a position that when that handle is moved into its inoperative position, the clip catch comes into contact with and releasably engages a complementary protuberance carried by the mop handle socket. If desired, the catch may be provided with a pair of laterally extending arms at the outer end of each wing of the U-shaped clip, each of the pairs of extending arms being spaced to snugly grasp between them the adjacent side edge of a slot in the presser plate handle so as to hold the spring clip firmly in place when it is pressed into the slot.

The securing mechanism of this invention provides a simple, economical, yet highly effective method of releasably securing the hinged presser plate of a self-wringing mop against the mop handle when the plate is swung up out of the way in its inoperative position while the mop is being used in a mopping operation.

The invention will be more fully described by reference to the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-wringing sponge mop of the type with which the securing mechanism of this invention may be used, showing the presser plate handle releasably engaged with the mop hand-1e socket;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1, with the presser plate handle shown pulled away from the mop handle socket;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the mop of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the presser plate handle taken in the direction indicated at 4-4 in FIG. 2, with the handle rotated 180;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the slot in the presser plate handle, taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, exploded view of the presser plate handle of FIG. 4 with the corresponding mop handle socket, the U-shaped clip catch of the securing mechanism of this invention being shown in place in the slot in the presser plate handle;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, exploded view of the presser plate handle shown in FIG. 6, with the U-shaped clip catch shown in position for being pressed into the slot in the handle; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 1.

Sponge mop block 10, formed of a suitable absorbent and resilient material such as regenerated cellulose sponge, is removably attached to mop plate 11 by means of studs 12 and wing nuts 13. Mop handle socket 14, adapted to receive mop handle 15, is secured by welding or other suitable means to mop plate 11.

Presser plate 16 is hinged to mop plate 11 at hinge 17.

2 The presser plate is provided with a group of openings 18 to permit the passage of water therethrough during wringing.

Handle 19 is welded or attached by other suitable means to presser plate 16. In FIG. 1, handle 19 is shown in the position it occupies during the mopping operation, releasably secured by means of the securing mechanism of this invention (shown generally at 20) to mop handle socket 14.

A protuberance 25 in the form of a flange having a rectangular slot 26 is shown in FIG. 2 extending from the rear side of mop handle socket 14. One half of the complementary U-shaped member 27 carrying protuberance 28 is shown snapped into place in slot 29 of presser plate handle 19.

As is seen from FIG. 2, protuberance 28 has a shape complementary to that of slot 26 in flange 25. Clip catch 27 is preferably formed of a resilient material, such as spring steel, and is shaped to fit fairly snugly around flange 25 when the flange is moved into the space between the U-forming arms of the clip catch. If presser plate handle 19 is swung upwards in FIG. 2, protuberance 28 in member 27 will be pressed into slot 26 to bring flange 25 and clip catch 27 into releasable engagement. Presser plate handle 19 and mop handle socket 14 are shown thus releasably engaged in FIG. 3.

Each wing of clip catch 27 carries at its outer end a pair of laterally extending arms 30 and 31. In the embodiment shown, there are two arms 31 on each wing of member 27. Laterally extending arms 30 and 31 may be seen in side elevation in FIG. 2, and are seen in other views more clearly in FIGS. 6-8.

As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, laterally extending arms 30 on spring clip 27 are received in corresponding depressions 32 on either side of slot 29 of presser plate handle 19.

FIG. 6 shows how slot 26 of flange 25 carried by mop handle socket 14 is positioned so that it can be moved into releasable engagement with clip catch 27 carried by presser plate handle 19. In the engaged position, protuberances 28 on member 27 press resiliently into slot 26 of flange 25.

FIG. 6 shows how each laterally extending arm 30 cooperates with the opposing laterally extending arm (or arms) 31 to snugly grasp between them the adjacent side edge of slot 29 of presser plate handle 19. When clip catch 27 is pressed into slot 29, it bends sufficiently that laterally extending arms 31 ride over the respective side edges of slot 29, and then arms 31 snap into place when member 27 has been pressed all the way into depressions 32 in handle 19.

The positioning of clip catch 27 just before it is pressed into place in slot 29 of handle 19 is shown in FIG. 7. The opposed, snug grasping action of laterally extending arms 30 and 31 on either wing of U-shaped member 27 is illustrated in that figure.

Both the snug grasping action of opposed laterally extending arms 30 and 31, and the resilient engagement of protuberances 28 with slot 26, are shown in FIG. 8.

The preferred embodiment of the releasable securing mechanism just described shows how easily assembled yet eflective the mechanism of this invention is. Clip catch 27 can be quickly snapped into place, and will remain thereafter in its operative position unless and until for some reason it is desired to remove it. The clip catch has a long life, and will remain operative for many years of ordinary usage of the self-wringing sponge mop of which it is a part.

The above detailed description has been given for purposes of illustration only. No unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to anyone skilled in the art.

"swing into an inoperative position where it is.releasably secured againstthemop handle socket, -a securingmechanism which comprises: a flange member having a recess therein, said flange member being carried by one of said 'mop handle socket and presser plate and a U-shaped pressure responsive clip catch to receive and releasably engage said flange and thereby secure said presser plate in its inoperative position, said clip catch being carried by the other of said two members and having an inwardly directed protuberance carried by each side Wall thereof, each of said .protuberances being complementary in shape to the recess in said flange.

2. In a self-wringing sponge mop carrying a presser plate hinged to swing into contact with the wetsponge block during the wringing operation and thereafter to swing into an inoperative position where it is releasably secured against the mop handle socket, a securing mechanism which comprises: a flange member having a recess therein, said flange member being carried by the mop handle socket, a handle secured to said presser plate,

said handle having a slot therein with two side edges, and a u shaped'pressure responsive clip "catch formed of spring steel to receive and :releasably engage said flange and thereby secure said presser plate in its inoperative position, said clip catch having at least one protuberance complementary to the recess in said flange and'having a pair of lateral extensions at the outer end of each wing of the spring clip, each of said pairs of extensions being spaced to snugly grasp between :thern the adjacent side edge of the presser plate handleslot and thereby hold said spring clipfirmly in place in said slot when pressed therein References Cited-in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,381,132. Marchand Aug. 7, 1945 2,941,226 Kautenberg June 21, 1960 FOREIGN :PATENTS 1,097,173 France Feb. 9, 1955 68,140 France aon. 28, 1957 1st addition to 1,097,173) 

